The Spotlight

I have been having a lot of fun spotlighting local artists and watching the number of page views grow on the slide shows, although I am a bit bummed that nobody is utilizing the comments option.  If the spotlighted artist has a website I have posted a link to their site on the right hand side of this page under “Area Artists.”  Also, I am always looking for more artists to spot light.  If you know anyone that might be interested all I need is a brief biography and a photo of their work emailed to me at jguin@wkbt.com.  To view the slideshow of their art just click on the box at the bottom of this post titled “Local Area Artists.”

Ellen Mc Donah is a local oil and pastel artist with a studio near Trempealeau, Wisconsin. She has had numerous shows and exhibits in the La Crosse area, and has many original paintings in private collections and permanent exhibit. Most commissioned paintings and drawings include realistic classical-style portraits, figure drawings, and Impressionistic still-life. A sample of her work is featured on the Portal Wisconsin website, a juried site which is dedicated to promoting culture, arts, humanities, and history in Wisconsin. Ellen will be a featured artist in the “Portal Wisconsin Art Show,” comprised of the few Portal Wisconsin artists living in the La Crosse area, scheduled to be held at the Heider Center for the Performing Arts in West Salem in November 2009. You may visit a few of her paintings.

Susan Timm has a studio in Westby. She is a painter specializing in oils, and also runs a web design business. She is currently represented by the DeLind Gallery in Milwaukee and her work has been used in several on-line commercials for Foster’s Beer. Susan has a Masters of Fine Arts from the University of Iowa Printmaking Program and is also involved in the Green Bay Street Studio in LaCrosse.

Ryan Myers is currently an adjunct professor at Viterbo University teaching ceramic sculpture and also teaches adult and home school pottery classes at the Pump House Regional Arts Center here in La Crosse. His work is a combination of sculpture and pottery with a figurative influence. He shows and sells his work in several galleries and participates in Art Festivals throughout the Midwest.

Matt Duckett is a recent UWL grad with a B.S. in Fine Arts and a B.A. in English.  He has won numerous awards for his artwork and is also a two-time winner of the Dale and Betty Kendrick Award for a painter, the highest award available for a painting student at UWL.

Devorah Yahn has been making pottery on and off for the past 30 years. She graduated from Viterbo University in 1998 with a BA in Art Education and a focus in ceramics. Today she works full time as a Medical Lab Technician but what she loves to do most is make both functional and sculptural ceramic art in her studio on Decker Street Viroqua, WI.

Jim Hauser is a painter working out of his home studio here in La Crosse, and also is a principal owner of Willet Hauser Architectural glass Inc. where he designs stained glass windows.  He was educated in Art at Evansville University in Evansville, Indianna.